Chapter 107 |
"I just wanted to read a little, woke up and couldn't sleep, so I'm reading for a bit."
"Not even a little bit. It's all taxing on the mind," Qu Dubian frowned. "You forget the very lessons you preach to me when it comes to yourself. No reading."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Alright, alright, I won't read."
Qu Dubian stared at him for a moment, his eyes gradually reddening.
Emperor Chongzhao thought to himself, this is bad: "I really won't read anymore!"
Qu Dubian turned his back, sat on the footstool by the bed, hung his head low, and roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "You can't have anything happen to you. Otherwise, who will look out for me in the future?"
Emperor Chongzhao: "Alright, I'll get better."
He sensed something was off and felt both exasperated and amused. "How did this turn into me comforting you?"
Qu Dubian turned his head: "You were the one in the wrong here."
In his memory, he didn't cry much, only when he was sick as a child, fussing in his arms.
Though he didn't want to admit it, that little runt he once thought wouldn't survive had now grown so big. Time truly waits for no one.
Emperor Chongzhao patted his head. "My age is indeed catching up with me."
Qu Dubian: "I don't mind you being old."
Emperor Chongzhao: "..."
Qu Dubian: "Being old doesn't mean you won't live long. When people curse 'old thing, old thing,' you strive to live to two hundred and become the oldest old thing."
Emperor Chongzhao felt both a bit angry and couldn't help but want to laugh.
"You little brat, how dare you insult your emperor in such a roundabout way?"
Qu Dubian: "If you could live to two hundred, even if you hit me every day, I'd still call you 'old thing' every day. It's a blessing."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Sophistry!"
"Call it sophistry if you want," Qu Dubian said, handing him the stack of papers he had brought, about eight or nine sheets. "A summary. You must strictly follow it."
"What is this?"
Emperor Chongzhao flipped through them and found each sheet numbered, from 1 to 9, nine sheets in total.
The first was a general guide to health preservation, the second a regular daily routine, and the third through the sixth were plans for dietary adjustments and exercise to regulate the body.
He complained, "You want to control me."
Qu Dubian: "Not at all, Your Majesty. Do as you please. I'm just giving them to you."
Emperor Chongzhao: "..."
Hearing 'Your Majesty,' he knew this kid was getting angry again. Who was he being sarcastic to?
His brows were tightly furrowed. He said, "Let the imperial physicians examine these. If they also think it's feasible, then I'll give it a try."
Qu Dubian seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent.
He coughed a few times, and when he spoke again, his voice was a bit hoarse. Qu Dubian loosened his collar. "Eunuch Yu, fetch me some water, please. I'm thirsty."
"Right away, sir."
Emperor Chongzhao's sharp eyes caught the scratch marks on Qu Dubian's neck. His gaze sharpened, and he reached out to pull at the edge of his collar. "Let me see."
Qu Dubian raised his hand to cover it. "It's nothing."
Only then did Emperor Chongzhao notice his sleeves were tightly fastened. In the middle of summer, who dressed like that?
His tone deepened. "Let me see!"
He forcibly pushed up Qu Dubian's sleeve and undid his collar.
His chest and arms were covered in scratch marks, lines overlapping, some places even broken skin.
"Hives?"
Qu Dubian: "I said it's nothing, just itchy."
He rearranged his sleeves and collar.
Emperor Chongzhao was silent for a moment. "You're sick yourself. Hurry back. Is it you taking care of me here, or me taking care of you?"
Qu Dubian wasn't sentimental at all; called to leave, he would leave. He patted his hands and stood up.
"Fine. Father, you couldn't have woken up at a better time? In the middle of the night, how exhausting."
Emperor Chongzhao threw his own pillow at him. "Get out of here, now!"
Qu Dubian scampered away.
He ran headlong into the Second Prince, who was standing outside the hall holding a tray of pastries. "Little Seven?"
Qu Dubian greeted him: "Good evening, Second Brother. I'm heading back now."
The Second Prince smiled: "Alright."
Qu Dubian, leading Yidianbai, said goodbye to Eunuch Bao and returned to the prince's quarters.
Inside the hall.
Emperor Chongzhao had some of the Second Prince's pastries and summoned Physician Yang.
"Take a look at these. Little Seven wrote them. Would it be useful if I followed them?"
Physician Yang took them and made a sound of surprise. "Hmm? This... the Seventh Prince started writing these a while ago. I thought he was writing them for himself. Were they for you, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Chongzhao was taken aback: "Started a while ago?"
Physician Yang: "Yes. He asked me many things. On the day you fell ill, His Highness the Seventh also asked me about your condition. Because his hives were severe at the time, he developed a fever and couldn't be exposed to the wind, so I advised him not to go out and to consult me if he had any questions."
So that's how it was...
Yet Little Seven had said nothing about it.
When he did something touching or heartwarming, he was as silent as a mute. But whenever he could rile someone up, he would talk about it at length, determined to see them get worked up.
If it were any other son, it would likely be the opposite.
Emperor Chongzhao said, "I haven't spoiled him for nothing."
The Second Prince, who had just been dismissed and was walking near the screen, heard this sentence. His steps paused almost imperceptibly before he left the room.
-
Qu Dubian walked along the road, calmly recalling every moment from just now in the Zichen Hall.
There was no longer any trace of the feigned, faint sheen of tears in his eyes.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help but forcefully slap his own arms and thighs.
Wanting to use force to knock away the itchy numbness.
The first and second stages of the hives had passed; the third stage was just beginning. While he was getting used to the itch, he planned to get through it all at once.
It was truly torturous.
Back at Pinggui Courtyard, besides Ye Xiaoyuan, the Fifth Prince was actually there too.
Qu Dubian: "Fifth Brother?"
Fifth Prince: "You're back?" He had a hesitant look on his face. "Fifth Brother has something he wants to discuss with you."
"Alright."
Qu Dubian invited him into the room. "Fifth Brother, what would you like to drink?"
The Fifth Prince shook his head. "Little Seven, we are not an ordinary family."
Qu Dubian paused.
The Fifth Prince's gaze was earnest. "Perhaps you don't like hearing this, especially since Father Emperor dotes on you the most. But, he is ultimately the Emperor. If you give your true heart, perhaps one day you will be hurt until you bleed."
Little Seven cherished emotional bonds. He had a certain charm that drew people to him, which was why even the Sixth Prince, who couldn't stand being lectured, could patiently listen when he spoke a few words.
But whether one is deeply emotional or treats others sincerely, the one thing one must not do is offer one's true heart to Father Emperor.
He didn't want to see that day come.
Before saying these words, the Fifth Prince had hesitated for a very, very long time.
Because Little Seven was different from him. Perhaps in Little Seven's mind, Father Emperor was a father who loved him dearly, whereas he himself had, from an early age, only felt the coldness in the Father Emperor's blood, and so erected a barrier in his heart.
Qu Dubian poured him a cup of hot water, looked up, and smiled. "I know."
Seeing he wasn't angry, the Fifth Prince slightly relaxed.
Qu Dubian: "Fifth Brother, thank you."
Fifth Prince: "You're welcome."
He had come specifically to say these few words. Having said them, he didn't stay long. After finishing the water, he left Pinggui Courtyard.
Qu Dubian sat at the table, poured himself a cup, and slowly moistened his throat.
No one knew whether there was even a shred of sincerity in the act he put on for Emperor Chongzhao.
Just as no one knew how much genuine affection, if gathered piecemeal, existed within the love Emperor Chongzhao displayed towards him.
Emotions born from calculation and conjecture, hypocrisy and truth, cannot be weighed on a scale.
-
Emperor Chongzhao's illness came and went in waves.
He recovered in the summer, fell ill twice again in the autumn, each bout lasting about three to five days before he got better. As late autumn deepened, he increasingly felt as if a chill was seeping into his very bones.
In the martial arts training ground.
Qu Dubian beat on a simple, makeshift drum set while directing Emperor Chongzhao: "Hey, yes, lift your arms, lift your legs."
"Oh, Dad, your lifts aren't even as standard as Consort Liang's. Don't look down on square dancing. Our routine here is really energetic."
"It's square dancing fused with the Five-Animal Exercises. Practice more, sweat more, and your illness will fade away."
"Don't be shy, get into it."
Only Emperor Chongzhao and a few close attendants were in the training ground, even Eunuch Yu was stifling laughter.
Qu Dubian said, "You should learn properly from Matron Su. Then when Her Majesty the Empress and the others do square dancing, you can keep up, right?"
Emperor Chongzhao twisted his arms and legs, panting from exhaustion. "They usually dance like this? It's so tiring!"
Qu Dubian thought to himself, one should never underestimate the stamina of sport-loving royal consorts.
After the exercise session, Emperor Chongzhao finally sat down, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief and drinking the medicinal tonic soup prepared by the Imperial Hospital to replenish his qi and blood.
He found that exercising here was indeed somewhat useful. Combined with dietary therapy, his sleep had improved greatly.
"I've heard that Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Guo want to select a consort for Zhiyi?"
Qu Dubian: "Hmm, yes."
But Elder Sister isn't willing. She simply isn't interested in that sort of thing right now and doesn't want a man by her side.
Emperor Chongzhao: "I'll have a painter visit the mansions with suitable young gentlemen later to have their portraits drawn for Zhiyi to choose from."
Qu Dubian looked at him for a moment, then suddenly said, "Dad, having Princess A'Xiang as the one for marriage alliance is enough, right?"
"Marriage alliances... are a means to divide and control the Northern Frontier," Emperor Chongzhao said. "A'Xiang has done very well, averting much conflict and casualties. Now the Northern Frontier is stable. I have no plans to marry Zhiyi off there."
He raised an eyebrow and flicked Qu Dubian's forehead with his finger. "Besides, there are also daughters of the imperial clan. How can we marry off imperial princesses every time? Wouldn't that only whet the Northern Frontier's appetite? Are you worried I'd send Zhiyi over?"
Qu Dubian could tell that his "cheap dad" still intended to continue the marriage alliance strategy.
"Father, could you issue an edict?"
Emperor Chongzhao snorted. "My word is my word. How can edicts be issued so casually? What would that make things?"
Despite Qu Dubian's prolonged and persistent pleading, Emperor Chongzhao still didn't agree, probably thinking it was too much of a fuss.
Seeing that pushing further might make him lose his temper, Qu Dubian had to temporarily drop the matter, planning to bring it up again later.
He returned to Shunning Palace and relayed Emperor Chongzhao's meaning. Noble Lady Guo finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped urging the fifteen-year-old Zhiyi to choose a consort. Zhiyi could finally settle down and study mathematics in peace.
At court.
Due to Emperor Chongzhao's declining energy, the previously suppressed matter of designating an heir began to be raised again.
Between the factions of the First Prince and the Third Prince, the silent faction of the Second Prince was also present.
The Third Prince's faction also had their criticisms.
The Third Prince had been married for a long time and had many concubines in his household, so why was there still no heir?
Lacking an heir meant instability. When contending with the First Prince's faction, they felt significantly less confident.
Winter.
Using the pretext of having a physician examine the Third Princess Consort's health, the Third Prince invited a renowned internal medicine specialist from out of town to his residence.
But it wasn't for the Princess Consort; it was for him.
The diagnosis was weak yang energy, requiring medicinal tonics for nourishment.
The Third Prince shut himself in his room for a whole day in despondency. After emerging, he also began taking medicine.
He told outsiders it was just a winter chill and strictly forbade all those in the know from speaking of it.
"Especially you," the Third Prince said to his wife. "You should take some nourishing tonics. Once I've recuperated properly, we can try for a child then."
This matter absolutely must not become known to outsiders. The Emperor would never let a prince with physical issues inherit the throne. If this were to spread, the power he had painstakingly accumulated would likely be destroyed in an instant.
After all, who would follow a prince with no hope for a future?
Third Princess Consort: "Yes, I understand."
Third Prince: "I trust you won't speak carelessly, but I don't trust others."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Third Prince had his men escort the internal medicine specialist home, then killed the physician on the road to eliminate any future troubles.
-
The following year.
Late spring.
The Third Princess Consort was with child, over a month pregnant.
The Third Prince's faction felt reassured.
When the pregnancy reached six months, the imperial physician taking her pulse said it was likely a boy—welcome news.
The Third Prince greeted everyone with a smile, taking meticulous care of the Third Princess Consort in every way.
The Fifth Prince also successfully moved out of the palace to establish his own residence.
Coinciding with the eighth month, when the autumn sky was clear and the air crisp, Emperor Chongzhao, rarely planning to relax, issued an edict:
In half a month, an autumn hunt would be held at the Lanlin Hunting Grounds.
A grand event of hunting and being hunted.